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Friday, September 19, 2008

Thank you...

I just wanted to send out a huge THANK YOU, to those people who breed the Border Collie based ONLY on working ability.

When I was trading sheep in the hay field behind our house..and the sheep bolted....ended up on the road and Zip ran after them...blind outrun with me realizing they were going to the road...and I got to the top of the hill and she had them..about 10 feet from the road--I cried as I realized how badly that could have gone--but she did it--because that is what she was bred to do......thank you.

With all my horrible training in the beginning...not watching my sheep, not giving the dog the benefit of the doubt...they kept working, realizing they were doing the right thing and I would figure it out...thank you.

Taking care of me on the trial field...knowing the draws and how to handle them--showing just how amazing a border collie can read sheep...and how much I am in awe of the talent that is there...thank you.

When I went to start Gator and he cast out like he has been doing this all his life...KNOWING balanced, knowing to check up and pacing himself....makes training these dogs so easy...thank you.

This summer...when I had to move ewes with new lambs that were willing to hit a dog full out (and weighing at 200 pounds...that is going to hurt)....Klink would remain calm, never flinch, and if needed bite and then let the ewe go...patient and amazing....thank you.

Zip moving ewes and the lambs coming up to her and nibbling on her ears, but she kept her focus on that ewe, knowing it was HER that needed to be moved....thank you.

When we had to get sheep from a friends place to take them to market...we have a spayed female named Paige that we got awhile back and Andy took a liking to her. She is a very natural dog, gorgeous flanks, lots of pace and a GREAT dog for Andy to work...since he is not into holding a dog back ;-) I was a bit worried sending Andy off to a new farm to get these sheep into the trailer...but he and Paige did a great job (well moreso Paige)---without her amazing stock sense...it wouldn't have happened...thank you.

25 ewes and lambs in the pens that needed to be sorted, hooves trimmed, and separated...with my back on the mend I was worried we would have issues...

Zip and Klink made an easy bit of that---holding sheep so I could catch them...pushing sheep to me, putting them into the trailers, holding them in the trailers while I worked on other sheep--being kind to the lambs, patient with the ewes--and with very few commands....thank you.

After the lambs when to market--along with some cull ewes--we had to deal with the ram the next day...Zip being rehabbed, I left her out of that, just in case she got hit. So Klink was up to bat---she handled that ram with all the confidence of any dog I have ever seen...thank you.

THANK YOU for holding to your thoughts that these dogs should be bred for working ability...whether they ever step foot on the trial field, or fetch a ball, do agility, or curl up under a desk at night...they are amazing dogs---BECAUSE they are bred to work....

Agility is a lot of fun, they enjoy it.....however those moments where my dogs are working off all instinct is what it is all about...you can't "train or make" that.......